Brown To Announce Bill To Enhance Pediatric Research; Join Holland Family Battling Cystic Fibrosis

Brown Will Be Joined by Holland Fifteen-Year-Old Who Suffers from Cystic Fibrosis

Although Children Compose 20 Percent of the U.S. Population, Only About 5-10 Percent of Federal Research Dollars are Directed to Pediatrics

 

TOLEDO, OH – With a Northwest Ohio family who is living with cystic fibrosis (CF), U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) will call for increased funding for pediatric medical research. Fifteen-year-old Rachel Burns lives with CF and had to be admitted to the hospital last week due to complications with her condition. Yet she still manages to balance her daily 4 a.m. medical regimen and softball and volleyball practice while remaining an honor student at Springfield High School.

Although children make up about 20 percent of the U.S. population, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dedicates only about 5 to 10 percent of its annual research budget to pediatrics. At Toledo Children’s Hospital, Brown will announce plans to introduce bipartisan legislation to ensure that the NIH investment in pediatric research enhances collaboration to stretch limited research dollars. The bill also seeks a reasonable proportion of pediatric research grants for rare diseases or conditions.

 

WHO: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown

          Dr. Pierre Vauthy, Director of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at Toledo Children’s Hospital

          Rachel Burns, 15-year-old high school student and Cystic Fibrosis Patient

                                                                                                           

WHAT:          Press Conference on Pediatric Research

 

WHEN:          Friday, Feb. 15 at 11:00 a.m. EST

 

WHERE:       Toledo Children’s Hospital Lobby

                        2142 N. Cove, Entrance #3 

                                                               

                                   

 

 

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